Summary
Growth of four breeding lines and two cultivars of slicing cucumber with different growth at low temperature and light intensity was analysed in relation to night temperature. Plants were grown from 17 days after sowing at 20°C day temperature and 20, 15 or 10°C night temperature (NT), a light intensity of 24 W/m2 visible radiation and a daylength of 8 hours. Data from six successive harvests, ending 47 days after sowing, were analysed according to a MANOVA procedure.
RGR, NAR, LAR, SLA and LWR generally decreased with time. Ln W and RGR were largely similar at 20 and 15°C NT, but reduced at 10°C NT. LAR and SLA decreased at each lower NT, whereas LWR increased. NAR was only marginally affected by NT. Significant genotypic differences occurred for 1n W, LAR, SLA, LWR, stem length and percentage of dry matter in leaves and stems at all NT's and for RGR and NAR only at 20°C. Genotypic differences for 1n W could not be explained by differences for RGR, but by differences for initial plant weight.
Significant genotype × night temperature interactions were present for LWR. Breeding lines increased LWR in response to lower NT, while that of cultivars remained fairly constant. Implications for breeding are discussed.
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Abbreviations
- L:
-
plant length
- LA:
-
leaf area
- W:
-
dry weight of the shoot
- RGR:
-
relative growth rate (the increase in W per unit of time and unit of W)
- NAR:
-
net assimilation rate (the increase in W per unit of time and unit of LA)
- LAR:
-
leaf area ratio (the leaf area at time t per unit of W)
- SLA:
-
specific leaf area (the leaf area at time t per unit of leaf weight)
- LWR:
-
leaf weight ratio (the leaf weight at time t per unit of W)
- RGR:
-
NAR × LAR
- LAR:
-
SLA × LWR
- MANOVA:
-
multivariate analysis of variance
References
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Den Nijs, A.P.M., Smeets, L. Analysis of differences in growth of cucumber genotypes under low light conditions in relation to night temperature. Euphytica 36, 19–31 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00730643
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00730643